This invention relates to a separable connector for joining optically the respective terminal ends of one or more pairs of glass fiber optic cables, and more particularly to such a connector using a standard multi-pin electrical connector housing in which is mounted a resilient collar for resiliently and independently securing a plurality of rigid alignment sleeves for the respective mating terminals.
In my aforementioned patent application a novel connector was disclosed in which the glass fiber optic cables were terminated within a sleeve-like body having an unobstructed bore with the opposing faces of the terminated cables positioned in closely spaced relationship to provide a single air-to-glass optical junction that minimizes the degradation of light transmission across the junction, while protecting the finely polished glass cable faces from abrasion.
In the present invention the above described novel terminal connection for fiber optic cables is adapted to be utilized in a well known standard multi-pin electrical cable connector housing. Within the housing is mounted a collar made of resilient material having a plurality of longitudinal openings in which is detachably secured a plurality of rigid alignment sleeves, each sleeve adapted to receive the respective terminal ends of a pair glass fiber cables to be optically connected together. The alignment sleeves are resiliently retained within the collar openings, and each sleeve periodically can be individually removed from either side of the connector for cleaning, and for the cleaning of the finely polished faces of the glass fiber cables normally housed therein. The resilient collar also seals the connection between the connector halves and the alignment sleeves.
The alignment sleeves enable precise and rigid alignment of the two cables ends joined therein. The resilient collar permits individual transverse adjustment of the sleeves to enable alignment during the mating of the connector halves
Multi-in electrical connectors have been utilized in the past for joining fiber optic cables, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,323. However, in this patent a resilient sleeve is employed for aligning the respective fiber optic cable terminal ends, and it is probable that any flexing of the cables caused by transverse forces outside the connector will cause a misalignment of the cable terminals, and therefore degrade the transmission quality across the optical junction.